Ally

1. Obama - It Gets Better [5.50]

Description

Ally:The video was about Barack Obama speaking on things getting better for the LGBTQ community; for those who may feel insecure or feel as if they do not fit in with the rest of society. He is letting them know that not everybody they come across will be ignorant toward who they are. He is letting them know that there are people who care about them and do not love them any less because they are a little different from the rest of the world.

Gay:The video was of Davey Wavey trying to let parents know that their child coming out to them is an important experience; as an effect, how they react will be very important. He focuses on how parents should consider how their child is feeling and stand by their side.

Ally:We liked how the video could be for adults to actually see how their child could be feeling and open up to them and accept them. We like how the speaker actually had his parents in the video speaking as well to move the parents to do right by their children as an strong example.

Queer:It was very effective and we've never seen a video quite like this, so it would do well in the toolkit since it's unique and serves a different purpose than some of the other videos. We also really liked how he added in his parents to share their side of the story and having parents hear reassurance from other parents who have gone through the same thing was a really effective tactic.

Queer:This video was incredibly adorable. Because he talked about the struggle of being green, it was very broad and relatable, regardless of one's place on or outside of the LGBTQ spectrum. It also helped to break things down and it makes it more difficult to dismiss him because he's a green frog.

Gay:The video was very cute, however, I feel like this wouldn't be good for the tool kit. This seemed like it was aimed for younger kids and our audience is high school kids. The message from the video even seemed to be set up to be explained to a younger kid. If we did put this in the school kit it should be for the high schools that have kids who have little kid mentalities.

Queer:This was much better than any other I Give a Damn campaign video because it seemed more real this time. The celebrities seemed to really care and the message was clear this time. This should definitely go in the toolkit.

Lesbian: I liked the facts they presented clearly, and how concise the message is. It shows how much support there is and how many different organizations there are for youth and allies to get more help and support.

Ally:Kathy Griffin gives information on where and how LGBTQ youth can find ways to feel more safe and welcomed. She talked about how people are the way they are towards gays, trans & etc. because their parents allow them to be that way and that society promotes these evil ways.

Queer:While she wrote something and read it, it was still her words and she did actually send a meaningful message. Her anti-bullying remarks made a great impact, and if we were to include a Trevor Project video, this is the one we should.

Lesbian:She kept the atmosphere very light and included a lot of humorous elements, but also had some very deep things to say. She fully accepts the LGBTQ community, and shows that she will help the fight for equality.

Gay:The video posed the idea that the adults in the world shouldn't be surprised by the increase in bullying because the youth learn the behaviors from the message that adults put out. Sarah was extremely blunt* which made the message seem a lot more honest.

*Teacher’s note: In her impassioned rant, Ms. Silverman uses an expletive that you may not find suitable for your classroom. A censored version has been provided below.

Queer:I liked how raw she was about everything; the production, where it was, how she looked. She looked natural and acted honestly and she didn't care about anything except getting her message across.

Ally:We did not like the fact that the video was so short however we like that fact that society encourages (ignites) bullying.

Queer:Her message was strong and concise and very political, but it lacked emotional depth and appeal. However, she is a very powerful political figure, so to have her support could mean a lot to many people, especially when she mentioned openly LGBTQ employees of the federal government.

Lesbian:Hilary Clinton is a great speaker, and you can tell that she meant what she said. As a woman who has a lot of power and has experienced a lot of prejudice because of her gender, she can relate to the LGBTQ movement.

Queer:He had a very good message and was very honest, but the fact that he didn't acknowledge that the reason some people are being bullied is because the words being thrown are describing who the person is. We think it was an issue of not understanding intersectionalities.

Gay:We liked that this video was very honest. In the video he makes it aware that he doesn't know everything about the LGBTQ community by saying, "I'm being told bisexual and transgender too." We liked that statement because it shows that even though it's clear he's not familiar with LGBTQ issues, he still makes a genuine effort to stand up for the cause.

Ally:One thing that I didn't like was how he flip flopped with saying you should and shouldn't use the term. Something that was good about the video was that the person speaking had a sense of humor. We liked how it was funny. It also had a lot of information. But at the same time he was trying too hard.

Queer:We liked the general message and the advice about when or if you could say it, and it was definitely unique and it showcased an important message. We didn't like how he backpedaled in an attempt to include more people in the audience.

Ally:The video was about how you don’t have to go into drastic measures. And don’t harm yourself because there are places you could go for support. We liked how the speaker was from Philadelphia. And the video was short and she didn’t go into details that were needed.